Read long and comfortably in bed: This is possible with a reading pillow for the bed. In the guide you can read what types there are & what you should pay attention to when choosing.
They actually still exist: people who prefer not to see a screen before going to bed instead of Netflix or their smartphone and therefore need a good reading pillow for the bed.
I am one of them. Instead of digital entertainment, I rely on a good book as an analog sleep aid.
Reading before bed has many benefits for your body:
- The stress level is reduced
- You will fall asleep deeper and faster
- Imagination and learning effect are stimulated
Most people, like me, prefer to read in bed. Reading in the horizontal position is more comfortable and it is just more cozy under the covers.
After a few minutes, however, the hunched posture causes the shoulder and neck area to hurt.
Fortunately, I was able to find a reading pillow that took the strain off my neck. I can now read undisturbed over a longer period of time and no longer feel any impairments.
So that you can find the most suitable reading pillow for your purposes, I have written this article. Otherwise you will quickly lose track of all the different materials, shapes and sizes of the reading cushions.
I am happy to share my experiences with you and give you one or two pieces of advice along the way.
In order to first dispel some doubts about the reading pillow, I will explain the ergonomic advantages for your back.
Index
Do reading pillows really help?
Oh yeah! Imagine reading a book while lying in bed on your existing pillows.
This is of course also possible, but it is not particularly convenient and from an ergonomic point of view it is not a permanently good solution.
Your pillow is especially suitable for sleep.
- You can read a few minutes and a few pages of the book without problems with a pillow as a support.
- But at some point you start to turn on your side, lift the book, and straighten your neck .
To get back into a more upright lying position, pile pillows under your back and leave the horizontal lying position.
Up the shoulder area, your hands are holding the book, your elbows are bent and your neck is tensed. This is neither particularly comfortable in the long term, nor is it good for your posture.
There should also be some resistance between the back and the mattress and feel more comfortable as you flip between the pages.
Reading pillows were developed to avoid a stiff neck, muscle tension in the back and numbness in the arms.
There are many different types of reading pillow that I would like to explain to you and recommend the best one for each.
Which reading pillow suits me?
All types of reading pillows have something in common:
They should have a positive effect on your posture so that you feel more relaxed and your reading position becomes more comfortable.
I would like to introduce you to the individual variants step by step and work with you to determine which reading pillow is best for your purposes.
Reading bones
An admittedly strange name that I had to make friends with too. Shaped like a bone, this reading pillow can support almost any position in bed.
The reading bone is not as hard as a bone, but rather made of velvety and gentle materials.
These flexible properties in turn give the reading bone a particularly wide range of possible uses.
- In contrast to the other reading pillows in this article, a reading bone is not bulky and therefore not “in the way”.
- Due to the flexible shape and the low weight, this pillow is hardly noticeable in bed and does not disturb.
Compared to the following reading cushions, this reading bone is much smaller in size. You should take this into account because the reading bone may not fill your entire back.
From a different perspective, however, the reading bone is advantageous precisely because of its size.
The light weight of 300 grams and the soft fabric make it easy to transport. The reading bone is flexibly stowed in the luggage when traveling.
You have another advantage with this pillow if you are a stomach sleeper . In contrast to the robust specimens above, it is soft and is gentle on the neck and neck area while you are lying down.
I can also imagine this pillow to be very comfortable for all readers in the prone position.
- In this position, the chin is always hard and uncomfortable on the mattress surface.
- It is also difficult to take a deep breath lying on your stomach.
When you lie prone with your head on this pillow, the neck and chin rise slightly and are relieved. Breathing will also be easier.
This reading pillow may offer good cushioning during long back massages for the head area.
Triangular reading pillow
With a triangular reading pillow, all three sides are the same length and are reminiscent of the geometric shape of an isosceles triangle.
For you it means in the evening in bed that you can only use the triangular reading pillow up to a certain seat height.
Which brings us to the biggest limitation. This reading pillow is not particularly flexible for different postures in bed. It should have a more supportive effect.
- In order to find the most comfortable position for your reading pleasure, triangular pillows are not my personally preferred choice.
- They serve as a helpful leg rest to bend the knees higher in the lying position and to read the book better.
Of course, you can also lean against one of the three sides while you read.
However, since you are only leaning against the area between the lumbar vertebrae and shoulder (depending on the size of the pillow), the lower back arches and the neck bends forward.
So it’s almost the same posture as before, just at a different angle. For passionate bookworms and hours of reading, this is not an ergonomically healthy lying position in the long term.
Conversely, this does not mean that these pillows are of no use at all. On the contrary:
Triangular pillows are real all-rounders and can be used for many different activities.
Many triangular seat cushions are used for meditation and relaxation exercises. They are also suitable for yoga, as the triangle forms the typical Om sitting position.
They can serve as straight back supports on pieces of furniture and hard seats.
First of all, this triangular reading pillow looks like a real chunk. With an impressive 3 kilograms, the pillow is not so easy to stow away or take with you when traveling.
At the same time, however, I think the robustness of this seat cushion is the biggest advantage.
- The natural materials made of kapok and cotton make it particularly durable and weatherproof.
- You can also comfortably use this pillow as a back support on the garden lounger, the terrace, the balcony or in the garden.
This pillow is not soft, but has a more stable degree of hardness. This is a big plus point for your back as well as for the longevity of the product.
Unlike many support cushions, it does not deform over time, but retains its shape over the long term.
As a customer, you can choose between 20 different color samples, all of which are available at the same price. There is sure to be something for your taste.
Wedge pillows for reading
Wedge pillows, like the triangular reading pillows, also have a total of three corners. Only these corners are not the same length. The shape is reminiscent of a wedge that is positioned between the back and the mattress (or wall).
With this reading pillow, two out of three sides are the same length.
So you can sit stably as well as lie comfortably. As a leg rest in a horizontal lying position, this pillow also serves to bend your knees.
Not only does this increase your reading area. You squint less because the background of the book stays in a uniform position and hardly moves. This also results in fewer headaches in the long run.
- The following reading pillow is also used as a therapy aid in rehabilitation and care as well as in physiotherapy.
- If you do not suffer from an acute illness, you can also use the reading pillow to prevent a healthy back .
In addition, the manufacturer describes this product as ideal for “leg relief after injuries or vein problems”.
I can imagine it very well in thrombosis patients. This is exactly the angled lying position that patients with thrombosis should assume when symptoms occur.
Tip: The hand-made fabric cover is made of polyester and is very hard-wearing. It can be easily removed from the pillow and is washable.
I think that’s a good selling point, as many textile surfaces of pillows grease and get dirty quickly.
As a small additional benefit, I can still imagine placing this wedge pillow in the horizontal position on the body. So you can not only lay a book in bed, but also a laptop or tablet stably on your lap.
But I actually wanted to bring you reading pillows and not recommend a digital evening activity.
If all of these pillows have not yet convinced you, I would like to introduce you to an interesting alternative. It is not a pillow, but a mobile piece of furniture.
Bed tables for reading
Overbed tables differ in the most relevant advantage for me: They are not made of textiles, but can be made of other materials such as wood or metal.
On the one hand, this gives the bedroom a certain style and the storage space is larger for more than just a book.
These overbed tables always remind me of all those films in which multimillionaires work in bed and have breakfast served in bed.
Even in the event of illness or purely for convenience, you can open the bed table in bed and use it as you wish. Thanks to the folding function, you can easily stow the table so that it is not noticeable when it is not being used.
This model offers you both a built-in bookend and a portable book stand. The book stand can then be flexibly adjusted to your preferred angle of inclination in the bed.
So you no longer have to hold the book and just turn the pages.
Tip: A bed table is the ideal solution for reading in bed in combination with a wedge pillow.
The table with its large footprint also offers space for a cup of coffee or snacks.
- According to the manufacturer’s description, the table can withstand up to 50 kilograms. With this you can safely unload an entire encyclopedia on the table.
- A laptop up to 17 inches and a mouse can also be placed on the shelf at the same time.
Last but not least, I would like to give you a few helpful tips for traveling.
Reading pillow for on the go
This article has focused specifically on reading in bed. For reading on the go and when traveling, the individual recommendations may not be 100% applicable.
If you can only move to a limited extent in the upright sitting position on a plane or train, then you have different requirements for a reading pillow than at home in bed.
In this case I recommend another multifunctional pillow.
With this on-the-go reading pillow, you can comfortably read your favorite book without having to hold the book.
It is not optimized for the lying position, but rather for all body positions related to sitting, kneeling and sitting cross-legged.
You can also use this product as a normal pillow. At 200 grams, it is even lighter and more flexible for on the go than the aforementioned reading bone. A lightweight that fits in every pocket or suitcase.
Conclusion
You can be creative when looking for a reading pillow.
Many pillows are multifunctional and even if the pillow is not called a “reading pillow”, it is often also suitable for reading in bed.
When choosing, simply ask yourself the following three questions:
- Does the pillow support your back well without sinking in too far?
- Is the angle enough for you to lie upright enough?
- Do you like the material and is it easy to maintain?
Then you are sure to find a suitable pillow with which you can read longer before you go to sleep.
By the way, my personal favorite is the following reading pillow:
But a bed table is also suitable for reading thanks to the practical book holder.
I hope that with this article I have been able to bring you closer to the different reading pillows and suggest some exciting alternatives.
Other useful reading tips
For all the curious bookworms: If you are looking for a good pillow to take with you on the go, I recommend the following two articles:
With the tips in these guides you are sure to find the perfect reading pillow for on the go.
I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.